RogerRamjet

I'd start with airtwardo on these forums, he is a Ripcord enthusiast and has posted some still shots in the past of the series (at least I think it was him). ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Thank-you for that great shot. 40 Tango was the first DC-3 I ever jumped. Always loved that paint job! Speaking of Jim Hooper, where is he and how and what is he doing? Jim is alive and well living in England. I have been exchanging quite a few emails with him lately mostly discussing "the old days" and where some people might be today. He sent the photo just a couple of weeks ago and it seemed to fit this thread, so I posted it. I have many jumps from both of those aircraft, all before they were painted with the rainbow scheme. I was a member of Hooper's 10 man team (Ten High) as well and we made most of our practice jumps from the L-10E which may be the camera ship for this photo. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Speaking of Hooper, DC-3s, and Z-Hills, I just received a very nice shot of 40T from Jim a couple of weeks ago (the 196 is in formation also, guessing the shot was taken from the L10E, but don't know): http://static.flickr.com/96/266069808_f82259ae8b_o.jpg ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Hmmm, I don't recognize your name, but that means nothing after 30 years. Maybe we crossed paths at one of those places. I put students out at Downsville to finance my jumps and I was in the first Woodbine 8 man star while I was there. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

I jumped in Downsville (next to Hagerstown), MD and Woodbine, MD in 1974 while on vacation. I dropped by Ridgely too, but did not jump there. I did however snap a photo of a load boarding there. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/gallery/imageFolio.cgi?action=view&link=Personal_Galleries/RogerRamjet/Blast_from_the_Past&image=Ridgely2.jpg&img=&tt= ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Don't you mean 5 Cypresses that could go off at any second ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

We're not that hard to mess up... ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Yeah, they were smarter than that. The L-18 we brought up for the summer that year belonged to Jim Thrasher and was used at the Z-Hills Commercial Center. That summer (1975), we used the plane at Hinkley mostly, but also took it to the boogie and to both meets in Michigan (I think Athens may well have been the other MI place I jumped that year). Any photos of you from that era floating around? Maybe I'll recognize your face. Click on this URL to see one of me and see if that helps: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/gallery/imageFolio.cgi?action=view&link=Personal_Galleries/RogerRamjet/Blast_from_the_Past&image=RogTraciGreg-2.jpg&img=&tt= I won't be at the boogie, too far to come from South Florida (I am not jumping these days). ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Larry, we just have to have jumped together... I think the boogie I was at was 75, came down in the Loadstar with Bill Buchman, Roger and Carl Nelson and others. Also that year attended the East Coast Record Attempts in Sturgus Mi as well as a weekend at another Michigan site (maybe Madison?), not sure what town now, but we took the Loadstar (Z-Hills ship) to all three (with the same crew). Any of that ring any bells? ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

I keep telling Bill if he organizes one of these things close enough, I'll be there. This one is a little out of range (of South Florida), but I'm still thinking about it.... We need one of these to happen in Z-Hills or Deland. I think Bill hasn't been to either in a few decades, maybe someday soon. Great to see this tradition continuing! ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

You have not met me as far as I know. I'm sure my last jump in 1980 was before you started I'm glad Roger is coming and I exchanged email with Carl, so I know he's coming also. I have it in my calendar and will do my best to come down. I shot some ground photo's last time (2 years ago) and will probably do more of that this time if I'm still allowed out in the landing area. They are posted in the photo section here under Roger Ramjet/Keys Boogie. Gotta have some of Scotty's cooking too you know! I have many jumps with Scotty, many with Carl, and a few with Roger in the "old days." Just keeping in touch and threatening to make some more jumps one day... See you there! ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

I met and jumped with Scotty in '73 or '74 at Z-Hills. He was already famous (imfamous). I think he was on Hoopers (Z-Hills ASO at the time) perminant bad boy list even then. Great skydiver, great organizer, great with the girls (before Tami of course), and generally friendly to everyone. Those were great times Scotty, glad to see you're still living them 30 years later and impressing a whole new crowd! I am trying to make the Keys Boogie this year, hope to see you there! ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Thanks for that. I remember, a lot of rounds but also a lot of us had Strato Stars or 7 cell foils by then. Of course all the reserves were still round. It was a huge event, an air show coupled with quite a few skydivers from all over. A bunch of us flew down from Aurora, Ill. in the Z-Hills Loadstar (up for the summer to Hinkley) for it and a number of DC-3s came from various places. Yeah, the nighttime "events" would probably not fit under the "Tame" heading.... ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Why dogs are welcome at the boogie too. We let carbone in every year. ~ Carbone is still alive????????? Quote from Bill Booth: "No one is invincible in this sport, except maybe Scotty Carbone." ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

19th annual.... I jumped something called the Richmond Boogie in 1975, part of an airshow as I recall. Is this the same event and some years were missed, a whole different event, or just scrambled memories? ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Tami and Scotty, I am going to try hard to drop by this year. I had such a great time seeing Scotty after all those years and of course meeting the woman who could tame Scotty! I was all set to come down for Saturday only last year, but fell ill the night before, so didn't make it. I'll have to be carefull what I eat this year

IT"S CALLED A THROW OUT FOR CHRIST SAKE!!!!!!!!!!!! Really? When we invented it, we called it a "hand deploy pilot chute." The term "Throw Out" came much later and probably not from Bill's shop (though by the time that term came into use, I was gone from RWS so it could be his term for all I know). Bill can probably offer a better history, but the original term may have changed when closing pins came into use and you could no longer afford to hang onto the pilot chute once extracted. The original container was closed with a bight of the bridle which worked great as the container exactly matched the size of the canopies being used at the time. Of course as everything continued to shrink and everyone wanted to stuff the same canopies into smaller containers, the pin closure came into being and it wasn't long before someone found out that the container would open more easily if you hesitated on release of the pilot chute. I still see Bill refer to the system as "Hand Deploy" from time to time on this forum though ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

That is correct (C23(b)), it was around this time that manufacturers of the "modern" gear (Wonderhog, Eagle, SST, etc.) began to go for TSO certification as the FAA was begining to take notice that none of the sport gear on the market was carrying a TSO. Some of that testing was done at Z-Hills with our 196. I don't know if everyone tested beyond the certification to see where their canopies or harnesses would fail, but Strong did in this case and it was pretty interesting. I hadn't really considered the repeated dropping of the same unit and the incremental destruction that might lead to, good food for thought for those that have used their reserve at terminal more than once... ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Not directly I suppose, but it would seem a good first step towards eventually allowing trained riggers to install it. Sorry for any confusion. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

See this thread: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=2334965;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

I'm not a test dummy. How is a drop test executed? At that time, we had a Cessna 196 (Cessna 195 with a 450hp engine) that was used. A drop dummy that could have weight added internally, and a rail system that allowed pushing the dummy out of the aircraft. The aircraft made a constant speed pass at 500ft agl and the dummy was manually pushed out. The reserve had to inflate without failure up to the speed AND weight being sought for the TSO. Strong also chose to continue adding weight until the reserve actually failed (or was required to, I do not know what the rules were/are). At any rate, every reserve I saw tested that summer eventually failed when enough weight was added. You can decide what that means for yourself. I think it means that if you exceed the specified exit weight by enough, you risk blowing up your canopy. Surely the canopies are over rated to some extent to allow for variations in materials and such, but just how far do you want to push it? ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

I wonder what makes you think that mine is bigger than yours ... or his is bigger than your ... is the right way to prove anything? Oh well, here goes.... I don't know how current drop testing for TSO is done, but here is what I witnessed at Z-Hills in the late '70s. Strong was going for a TSO on a reserve. They did several drops at maximum allowed velocity for that canopy (I don't recall the velocity, too many years ago) and tested the reserve to failure. You know how? By adding 25lbs of weight to the dummy after each drop until the reserve blew up. Think whatever you like, but velocity AND weight count.... ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Both Wonderhogs in this picture have blast handle reserve ripcords: http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/gallery/imageFolio.cgi?action=view&link=Personal_Galleries/RogerRamjet/Blast_from_the_Past&image=RogTraciGreg-2.jpg&img=&tt= It was pretty common at least where I was jumping (Z-Hills/Tampa Sod Farm/Deland). Again, the housings have about 2 inches before the tacking to allow the straight extraction of the handle (though you can't tell much from the picture). ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Are you certain the slider is the correct size for your canopy? I have seen posts where people with this problem have gotten a new (larger) slider from PD and it solved the problem.... I believe I would contact them with the above description and see what they say. It is entirely possible they installed an out of spec slider. You might measure it so you can have that info for them. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519

Before changing to a Wonderhog, I had one for my Main ripcord on my B12 container. The trick (main or reserve) is to tack the housing about 2" from the handle. That way, no matter which way you pull the handle, the housing follows allowing a straight pull. Mine was not drilled out and I put over 300 jumps on that rig. When I put one on my Wonderhog for the reserve, I intalled it the same way, 2" of housing between the handle and the tacking or nylon cover. Interestingly, the one cutaway I had on the Wonderhog was with the original plastic ripcord (28' C-9 cheapo, 26' Navy Con reserve). Once I moved to the Strato-Star, malfunctions were no longer in my future. I put about 100 jumps on it with ropes & rings and another 550 with a slider. ----------------------- Roger "Ramjet" Clark FB# 271, SCR 3245, SCS 1519